A New Chapter
by Rubikcube124
Summary: The people of Selphia have all grown, gotten married, and now all have children of their own. A new chapter for them all has just begun. (This story will center around the children in later chapters. Rated T for safety.)
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone! This is my first Rune Factory fic, and it is actually a joint project between me and IncitementToDiscorse. They are a fantastic author and at the moment they are writing the fic "Colors of the Heart". Check it out, you won't regret it. Anyway, this idea just came up in a conversation between us, so here it is! I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: We do not own the Rune Factory franchise.

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><p>Frey stood in front of her mirror, gazing upon her reflection. Her long white dress gleamed in the light, its layers cascading down in ripples to her feet. Beautiful as she looked, it was far from what she was normally used to. Tilting her head slightly to from side to side, she amused herself with how heavy her head felt under the mere weight of some beautiful blue flowers and a thick veil. Well, better to have a heavy head than a heavy heart anyway.<p>

"Oh, Frey! You look gorgeous!" A voice said from behind.

Frey turned around to see her friend Margaret admiring her.

"You look just like a princess! Well… you are a princess, but you know what I mean." Margaret continued.

Frey blushed lightly. "Thank you, Margaret. It's all thanks to you and everyone else…"

"Oh, no, it was nothing! I didn't do anything really!" Margaret said, waving her hands in emphasis.

"Right, you didn't do anything. Well, except for organizing, getting her in her gown, playing the music…" Forte chimed in.

"Right…"

Frey gave a soft chuckle.

"Margaret is right though, you really do look like a princess." Amber said sweetly.

"Thank you. And thank you for the flowers as well, Amber. That also goes to you Illuminata."

"It was nothing a great detective like me couldn't handle!" Illuminata replied.

Frey gave an uneasy laugh. _"I really don't see what one has to do with the other." _She thought.

"Putting everything else aside, are you ready for this Frey?" Dolce asked.

Frey thought for a moment. "Of course I am." She replied. "I love him after all. I know that he'll make me happy."

Dolce smiled. "Good to hear. I was worried you might be nervous."

"There is no need for me to be nervous."

"I can't believe your already getting married Frey. I'm so happy for you!" Clorica stated.

"Thank you." Frey replied. "I'm just so happy that everyone could be here with me on this special day. Really, it means the world to me!"

All her friends smiled, and then Margaret suddenly spoke up.

"Wait a minute… I'm not so sure that everyone is here. Has anyone seen Xiao-Pai?"

Everyone began looking around the room, but nobody could find the sprightly young girl. All of a sudden the door flew open, causing the nearest few to jump in shock. Sounds of ragged breathing punctuated the sudden silence, and emerging from across the threshold like an intoxicated person stood an exhausted Xiao-Pai.

Frey immediately ran up to her friend, a difficulty somewhat achievable albeit looking like a migrating cloud. "Xiao? Are you all right?! What happened?"

Xiao sighed. "Well, when I woke up this morning I had to make breakfast for everyone, yes? I wound up breaking an entire stack of plates while I was at it, so I had to clean everything up. After that I had the daily cleaning routine, but I broke three vases while I was sweeping, so a larger mess was made. I remembered the wedding, but it seems that my clothes ripped because they got caught on my chair. I didn't have time to sew it together, so I ran out to the tailor, yes? I forgot to bring my money with me though, so I had to run back to get some. I got changed, and I started running here, but I forgot my wedding gift, so I had to go back again…" She trailed off, her lack of sleep and fatigue from running catching up to her.

"Here, Xiao. Why don't you just sit down?" Frey said, leading her friend over to her bed.

"Thank you." Xiao-Pai smiled, taking in the sight of the bride as she sat down. "You look very beautiful, Frey. I am very happy for you!"

However, before Frey could say anything, a shriek erupted from Margaret. "AHHH! We're running out of time! No more time to talk. Forte! Dolce! Help me with the final details!"

"Got it!" They immediately replied in unison.

Clorica casually walked over to the bed to join Xiao-Pai. "It never seems to calm down, does it?"

Xiao gave a slight laugh. "Maybe so, but I wouldn't want it any other way." She thought for a moment. "I do wonder about how the boys are doing though. Are they just as busy over there?"

Clorica had a distant look in her eyes. "Huh… I wonder…"

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><p>Over at the other side of Selphia, a similar sort of excitement buzzed within the halls of Porcoline's restaurant.<p>

"And… there we go!" Vishnal proudly announced as he finally finished the final touches on the groom's outfit.

Doug turned and looked into the mirror that had been set up in Porcolines kitchen. "Uhhhh…"

Leon was in the back, chuckling to himself.

"Oh, shut it!" The dwarf yelled.

Leon regained his composure before calmly responding "You're right, you're right. It really suits you, especially the cravat."

Doug glared, his eyes burning.

"I don't know, Leon. I think it might be a bit big for the little guy." Dylas smirked.

"Shut up, pony." Doug said.

"Hey!"

"Hay's for horses."

Dylas was already approaching the dwarf, his hands ready to attack. "WATCH IT SHORT STACK!"

"Whoa there _horsey_! _Rein_ back the attitude! All that yelling will make your voice go _horse_!"

"Okay! THAT'S IT!"

Before the developing tussle could get reach its fruition, Arthur and Vishnal quickly threw themselves in front of Dylas, preventing him from going on a rampage.

"Please refrain from attacking the groom, Dylas." Arthur stated, holding him back. "Also, Doug, must you always provoke him? You are a grown man – and one even getting married for goodness sake! Couldn't you act more maturely?"

Doug turned away in a huff, sulking slightly. "He was asking for it."

There was a flurry of arms in a panic, and with much effort, Dylas broke out of his friends' grasps.

"Whatever, I'm done. Call me when the actual wedding takes place." He growled, heading to the stairway.

Arthur and Vishnal shared a collective sigh. Even on such a joyous occasion, the two men were still unable to remain in the same room without trying to rip the other's throat out.

The door to the restraint burst open, and a small blond boy came rushing into the room. Excitement was written all over his face.

"Sorry I'm late you guys! I hope I didn't miss much." He paused, catching the eyes of an irritated Doug and the two exasperated men. "Or maybe I did…"

"Don't worry about it; it was simply another spat between Dylas and Doug." Leon said.

"Oh, okay." Kiel perked up immediately. "Wow Doug! You look great!"

Doug turned his head slightly to acknowledge the young blond. "You serious?"

Just one look at the innocent smile of the boy told Doug that he was, indeed, serious.

He sighed. "You know Kiel, you have no sense of style, do you?"

"Huh?"

"So says the guy with the oddest clothes in Selphia." Leon retorted.

"Like you have room to talk, you don't even have clothes!" Doug accused "Besides, my clothes are awesome! You guys just can't handle how cool they are!"

"Why don't everyone calm down, okay? This is an extremely happy day! Think about it Doug, you get to marry the princess." Vishnal spoke up.

Doug went silent for a moment, his gaze softened, and his lips formed a light smile.

"You're doing this for her, just think about how excited she must be to see what you look like. I know she'll love it."

"Yeah… that's true. I mean, it is itchy and heavy, but if it's for her…"

"There you go. Now stop being so self-conscious."

"OH BOYYYYYYYYSSSSSSSSS!" A loud voice sang from beyond the doors. It was painfully familiar. So familiar, in fact, that the groom's first instinct was to search for somewhere to hide.

Porcoline came bursting in, looking as happy as ever. "So? How is everything going?"

Doug pushed himself up against the counter, his hands shaking. "Ah, um, well…"

"OH MY! Don't you look marvelous! Absolutely fantastic!" He ran up to the dwarf to give him a hug. "I'm so happy for you! To think that the little dwarf who was so quite all those years ago would wind up getting married! Oh, I'm so happy for you!" When he pulled back though, his face turned a bit sad. "But I'm a little worried for you too… after all, we all know about Freys secret feelings for MOI."

"Wha-WHAT?!"

"Oh, I just can't help it! These irresistible looks of mine, I just can't keep anyone away. You don't need to worry much though, I'm sure that you'll be fine. It can just be a few dates every now and then, why, you can even join in if you'd like!"

"H-Hey! Hold on just a sec-"

Arthur placed a hand on Porcolines shoulder. "I think that's enough."

It was evident from the sparkle in Porcoline's eye that he didn't want to stop. After all, the dwarf was plenty fun to tease, and it wasn't very often that he got to do it. But he knew that an angry dwarf would just kill all the fun, and since it was his wonderful housemate asking...

"Oh, very well…"Porcoline replied, deflating like a balloon."…I'll just go and prepare the cake and be left out."

And with a kiss blown at Doug, he skipped out of the room, leaving a vacuum of peace once again.

Well, a rather fleeting peace…

"Am I missing something? Please tell me I'm not missing anything!" Doug asked, still shaking from the encounter.

"No, no. You're fine. Frey has no feelings for anyone but you." Arthur said, exasperated from how gullible the dwarf was.

"Ye-Yeah… that's right… besides, why would it be Porcoline? Hahahaha…" He settled down into the nearest chair, relief flooding his face. The shock of it all had turned his legs to jelly.

"Don't get too comfortable. Margaret should be here any minute to tell you it's time to go."

"Okay…"

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><p>Back in the East Wing of the castle, the excitement had died down considerably. Frey, doing her last checks in the mirror and having thanked all the girls for their wishes and help, was finally ready to meet her groom. She tried to ignore the soft fluttering of anxiety that bloomed in her chest, but it seemed to grow stronger by the second. Was this what they called the jitters? Doug was going to be her husband… he was going to be the man she would wake up to see every morning…Somehow, that made her both terrified and happy.<p>

"Well, Frey? Are you ready?" Margaret asked, looking incredibly pleased with Frey's look.

Frey looked at her reflection up and down one more time. "Yes, I think I am."

"All right then everyone, it's time to start heading out! Clorica, can you go get Mr. Volkanon?"

"Hm…?" Clorica sat up from where she was sleeping. "What was that?"

"Could you please get Mr. Volkanon? He wanted to see Frey before the wedding." Margaret asked again.

"Mmm-hmmm… Okay." And she walked on out, dragging her feet a little in her freshly-awoken state.

"As for everyone else, it's time to leave. I'm going to head over to where the boys are to tell them we're ready."

The girls all waved goodbye and headed out the door, leaving Frey alone for the first time since she woke up. Frey made a slight sigh of relief. As much as she loved everyone, all the commotion was a bit much to handle. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath in to try and relieve some stress.

"Hello, dear."

The sudden voice made the young princess jump. She looked over to the door to see granny Blossom standing there.

"Oh, hello!" She greeted.

"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't frighten you." The old lady said. "I just wanted to see you before the wedding, if only for a minute." She walked over to the young girl. "My, don't you look beautiful."

A natural blush crept beneath the artificial one Frey was wearing. "Th-thank you."

"I'm sure that Doug will love it. Why, based on the way you look now, you might even make the young boy speechless!"

"Considering Doug, I'm not sure if that's possible." Frey smiled.

Blossom let out a laugh. "True, true. That boy… I just don't understand him sometimes."

"Why don't you have a seat, you shouldn't be standing around all the time."

"You sound just like him, you know that?" She had said that with a hint of mischief in her eyes, and she lowered herself onto Freys bed anyway. "Frey, I came here because I wanted to thank you."

"What?"

"When Doug first came to this town, he was a quiet, broken, young man. His entire family had died, and he had nowhere to go, no one to turn to."

Frey lowered her eyes; the past of her future husband was always a difficult one to listen to.

"I took that lost boy into my home, trying to show him how he could turn to us." Blossom continued, looking into the distance. "I wanted to give him a place that he could call home, and to help him find a family with the people in the town. It was hard for him at first, and most of the first days were of him simply working and never uttering a word. As years past, he gradually came to find a home here. Even so, he was always distant. There was a depression always hidden in his eyes, and a wall that he had built to keep everyone away."

Blossom's wrinkled eyes met Frey's, and the smile that reached up to the corners of those lines spoke volumes of her gratitude. "However, that changed when you came to town. As you came to visit more and more, I could almost see that wall chipping away bit by bit, and even small sparks of joy every time you came over. After he found out the real truth about who killed his family, he became lost all over again. He was completely exposed - his beliefs until that point were shattered, and he had no idea how to handle it. But yet …you still came over to see him."

A laugh escaped from Blossom as she continued. "He couldn't keep his wall up any longer. He didn't know how to interact with anyone, but you still came, and you wound up saving him. Frey, you helped him in ways I can't even begin to explain. He is now the happiest I have ever seen him, and when he is with you, that happiness just gets even greater. He interacts with the other people in the town freely now, and he enjoys each day to the fullest. You know Frey, over the years, I have come to think of Doug as my own son. Because of that, I have a bond with him that the others do not have, so I know him quite well. And one of the things I do know about that boy is how awful he is with expressing emotions. I want you to know this, no matter what he says or does, that boy loves you more than you could imagine. He loves you more than life itself, and dare I say it, a Tempura bowl!"

Frey chuckled at the last statement.

"But to be serious, he loves you dearly Frey. Even if he acts foolish and doesn't always know how to describe his feelings, I want you to always remember that one thing. Thank you for bringing such joy into his life."

"Please, there is no reason to thank me." Frey quickly said, feeling the burn in her cheeks even more. "In fact, I should be thanking the two of you."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it's thanks to you that Doug is here in this town, without you I would have never met him. As for Doug… I had no memories, and at first I felt very lost and alone, but I have now made new memories with him, memories I can really call my own. He brings me joy that I never knew existed! Even with all of his stupid antics, I know that he never means any harm. It's just a part of who he is, and they never fail to make me smile. I know that he will always be there for me. Coming to this town has been such an amazing experience. Everyone here is family to me, and I love you all. And Doug…"

Blossom laid her hand on top of Frey's. "Don't worry, I already know."

"Miss Frey?" Volkanon knocked on her door.

"Just a moment!" Frey yelled back. She turned back to Blossom and helped her up. "Thank you for coming to see me. I'll see you again very soon."

"Thank you dear. I will see you then." Blossom walked to the door before turning back around. "You certainly do make a lovely bride. I'm sure the two of you will be extremely happy."

Frey smiled, running to give the old woman a quick hug before she left. Blossom returned the hug, and then made her exit.

"Miss Frey, might I come in now?" Volkanon asked again, clearly nervous about running late.

"Oh, yes, I'm coming!" Frey replied. She walked up to the door and opened it. "I'm ready!"

Volkanon took a look at the young lady. "Miss Frey, you look lovely! Well, let's get you out there so you can see the groom! Oh, I'm just so happy for you…"

Frey smiled at the man who had just started crying. Seeing all the people who took her in when she was lost… seeing them so happy simply because of her own happiness… It took her a moment to notice the small tear that was falling down her own face. For once it seemed she could understand her butler's tears of joy.

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><p>That's it for the first chapter. We hope you enjoyed it! If you did, please leave a review, we would love to see what you have to say about it so far!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Okay, so as I'm sure you realize, there are going to be quite a few pairings in this. Some of which I'm sure you have guessed, others which will surprise you, and I hope that you will enjoy them. In the long run, it doesn't actually matter too much as this isn't a romance fic. I just need to get through the pairing introductions.

Disclaimer: We do not own the Rune Factory Franchise.

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><p>Dylas sat in the restaurant sulking. He had a carrot in one hand, and milk in the other. The wedding was over, Doug and Frey were married, and while he knew that he should be happy for them, an underlining sadness had taken place instead. He groaned as he put his face on the table.<p>

"Dylas?" A warm voice said from behind him. "We're already closed, why are still hanging around in here?"

He lifted his head up to see Margaret standing behind him. She should have gone home hours ago, why was she still here?

"Hey." He replied lethargically.

The elf took a step closer, and he could smell the sweet perfume coming from the fresh flowers she always wore in her hair. His time at Porcoline's had made that scent instantly recognizable. "Dylas, are you okay?" The elven girl asked.

"I'm fine…" he muttered, planting his chin down into his palm, resting the latter against the table.

"You clearly are not fine. Tell me what's wrong."

A wave of irritation seized him, and he found himself snapping, "It's nothing, just shut up and go away already!"

Margret stepped back from surprise. This wasn't like him at all. As naturally sulky as he may look, she knew that he wouldn't genuinely lash out at anyone just like that. He was kinder than that. Pursing her lips, she marched straight up next to him and smacked him on the back of his head. "You know what?" she exclaimed, suddenly a little irritated herself. "You could stand to be more polite to people who are only trying to help!"

"Wha-"

"Besides, it's not like I don't already know what's wrong. I just thought you would rather tell me first."

Dylas stared at her dumbly, as if she had suddenly spouted a foreign language. "Oh?"

The elf planted her hands on her hips, now looking more concerned than annoyed. "Please, you give me too little credit. I know that you're upset about the wedding."

Dylas had no response to that. She was right, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"It's not like you hid your feelings very well, you know – everyone could tell how you felt about Frey. Well, that is, everyone but Frey could tell." Margret continued. "What I don't understand is why you are still so hung up about it, you knew this was going to happen, so why are you doing this to yourself?"

Dylas let out a massive sigh, taking a swig at his milk like it could drown his troubles. "You wouldn't understand anyway." He muttered.

"Try me."

This took Dylas by surprise, and he looked at the girl, shock evident on his face.

"Despite what you may think, everyone cares about you, Dylas. So please, for once let me help you."

"I don't need any help."

"It's that sort of attitude that will be your downfall." Margaret chided, shaking her head. "You try keeping up this rough exterior all the time, honestly it reminds me of Doug."

Dylas jumped up from the table. "Don't compare me to the half-pint midget!"

"Then stop acting like him! Stop hiding behind facades! Talk to us! Talk to me!"

Dylas thought for a moment before sitting back down, anger still written on his face. "What did I do wrong…?"

Margret looked to him, both shocked and pleased to have gotten a response. "What do you mean?"

"I did everything! I gave her cookies on White Day, I helped out with her travels... I was always there! So then why… Why would she choose him over me? Even more important, why him at all?! He never does anything, he's just a lazy good for nothing! Damn…"

"I know you don't mean that." Margret said soothingly. "As for what you did wrong, you did nothing wrong. Love can't be defined by what you do or what you don't do. It can't be judged based on who deserves it more. It's an emotion, and it can't be explained under such simple matters. There is only one reason as to why she didn't choose you… You aren't him."

Dylas grasped his head with both hands. "Dammit… Dammit… Dammit! Why does that just make me feel even worse?"

She smiled a little empathetically, touching him lightly on the shoulder. "Because, sometimes the truth hurts, it's a sad part of reality."

He laughed lightly. "You aren't one to tone things down are you?"

"I believe that situations like this are best handled with the truth. It may hurt, but I think the reason is because it completely separates you from the dream you wanted to achieve. However in the long run, it will make your life a lot easier."

"I'll be sure to tell you that the next time you feel like crap." He snorted, moving her hand away.

"I know that it's hard to believe, but you don't know what's going to happen in the future. There's probably something even greater out there waiting for you, you just have to find it."

"I don't see how that's possible." Dylas muttered once more.

"And why would you say that?"

"I gave up everything when I decided to become a guardian. I knew that going in. I never thought that I would ever be able to come back. I really gave up everything, my home, my family, my friends… my future." He took a quick sip of his milk before gazing straight in front of him, a dazed look in his eyes. "… And then she came. She saved me from my curse and dragged me all the way back to town. I… I can't forget that. Without Frey, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have been able to stay here with Porcoline or Arthur. I wouldn't have future. She gave me that future… she is my future."

An incomprehensible expression crossed the female's face as she digested all of that. "I see… so that's why…" she trailed.

Dylas smiled. "Even if I put that aside, have you ever met someone that nice? I mean, who the hell is that damned nice all the time? Even to me, the grumpiest person in town, she was always able to offer a smile. She kept coming even when I pushed her away… I really thought…" His smile faltered, and tears could be seen forming in his eyes.

"Dylas, are you… crying?" Margaret asked, concern etched on her face.

The man quickly stood up and looked away. "Like hell I am! Why would I be crying? Hell, I don't even know what I was saying, why would I even tell you that...? Damn…" He walked to the stairs, but stopped to regain his composure. After all, he wasn't sure if Porcoline would see him or not.

Margaret gave a sad smile. She stood up as well and walked up behind him. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him into a soft embrace.

The man tensed. "Wh-what the hell are you doing?!"

"I can't tell you why you told me what you did, but I'm glad that you did." Margaret began. "Dylas, we all really do care about you. You are a part of this town, a part of this family. This is your home now."

He felt himself relax a bit as he turned his head to look at the young elf. "Wha…"

Margaret tightened the hold she had on him ever so slightly. "Everyone wants to be there for you… I want to be there for you. So please… don't try to deal with things on your own anymore." She let go of him. "Frey gave you back your future, that much is true, but that doesn't mean that she has to be your future. You have to find that on your own, don't waste the opportunity she has given you by dwelling on things you can't control. Open your eyes, you never know what kind of future is waiting for you. Maybe a day will come where it's right there in front of you, but you won't know unless you open your eyes to see it."

Dylas had no words to say. The elven girl stood there with a sweet smile on her face. It was a smile for him, and for a second, it reminded him of Frey's generous smile.

Margaret looked up at the clock. "Oh my! It's getting super late, I really shouldn't stay here any longer! I'm sorry Dylas, I really need to go. I hate walking home in the dark…"

"N-no, you have to apologize."

"Well, it's my cue to leave. You should get some rest, it's been a long day." She ran to the door but stopped a brief second to turn around. "Oh, and do think about what I said, okay? I'll see you tomorrow, bye!" And with that she was gone.

Dylas simply stood there as he watched the girl run out through the door. _"Maybe one day my future will be right in front of me and I won't even know it… huh…"_ He shook his head violently. _"No way, it's just Margaret. Just forget about it."_

But he never did.

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><p>We would love to hear your opinion on this chapter, so please leave a review! :)<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Our next one-shot is for Leon and his lady. I hope that you enjoy!

Disclaimer: We do not own the Rune Factory Franchise.

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><p>Leon slowly sat up in his bed. It was a new day in the town of Selphia, but honestly, he could care less. After all, Leon was bored. Ever since Frey had gotten married, life was a lot more uneventful. He did lose his favorite toy after all. He knew that he shouldn't complain – she was happy and spent her time with her husband, and that was how it should be. With a final stretch of his long limbs, he made his way out of bed and into town. Well, he supposed things could be much worse. Even if things had gotten much more boring there was still one other person in town who never failed to entertain him…<p>

"Good morning Lady Knight." The man said as he walked past her.

Forte turned in surprise, her face quickly changing from shock to annoyance.

"Leon, I don't have time for you right now, I'm doing my morning rounds." She replied, trying yet failing, to disguise her frustration.

"Oh, don't be like that. You are a knight, aren't you supposed to be there for the towns people?"

Forte sighed in defeat. "Okay, what do you want?"

"Nothing really..."

"UGH!" And with that the girl stormed off, a fast retreating ponytail swaying in the breeze.

Leon quickly caught up with her, easily keeping up with her pace.

"Would you please just let me do my rounds in peace?" The girl complained.

"What, can't a man just go out and take a walk? I'm simply enjoying this bright, beautiful morning that has been bestowed upon us." He took a deep breath in. "The fresh air is wonderful, isn't it, Lady Knight?"

"It is indeed a fine day, so I don't see why you must insist on ruining it for me."

"I see the fresh air has had no effect on your attitude this morning, has it?"

Forte remained silent in an attempt to ignore the man.

Leon would have none of that though, so he pressed on. "Well, let's see about changing that foul attitude of yours then, shall we?" he pulled a toyflower out from his pocket and handed it to her.

Though her face was riddled with annoyance and suspicion, Forte hesitantly accepted it, examining the flower surreptitiously. No, she would not give him that satisfaction. "I remember that Xiao-Pai bought too many of these a couple days ago. She handed the remaining flowers to the town, so this is a highly unnecessary gift given the circumstances."

The fox guardian folded his arms across his muscular bare chest – a show of him being wounded by her words – though a smirk still teased at his lips. "Well," he retorted, "isn't that a bit rude?"

"So is giving a second hand gift."

"Ah… well, I can't argue with that. However, if fresh air or a flower won't lighten you up…" He cut Forte's path by stepping directly in front of her. As soon as he got there he cupped her chin, tilting her head up so their faces were mere inches apart, their eyes staring directly into each other's. "Then perhaps we'll have to take other measures." He whispered.

Forte's face flushed a bright rose red. "Wh-what are you doing?!"

Leon put his face a little closer to hers. "Wow… Miss Lady Knight, I never noticed just how beautiful your eyes were…"

Although it seemed impossible, Forte's face got even brighter. Her heart started to pound, and her lips quivered slightly. "L-Leon… P-Please… Whatever you're doing, knock it off!"

"Whatever do you mean, Forte?"

Fortes entire body stiffened after the dragon priest said her name. She no longer shook, she just stood there awkwardly, staring back into Leon's eyes, not knowing what to do.

They stood like that for about a minute before Leon could no longer contain himself. He quickly turned away and covered his mouth with his hand, trying to stifle the sound of his laughter. Completely possessed by the moment, he failed to notice the faint sound of a sword being drawn from its scabbard. What he soon noticed however, was the overbearing aura that lurked behind him. He turned around, only to be greeted a rather large and presumably, very sharp blade pointed in his direction.

"Run."

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><p>"THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD IT!"<p>

Kiel had been studying when he heard the front door slam, punctuated by the angry shouts of his sister.

"Welcome back, Forte." He said calmly, not even looking up from his book.

"What is WRONG with that man? Who does he think he is anyway?" The woman continued to rant.

"Let me guess, Leon?" He asked, still not tearing his gaze away from his book.

"He just doesn't know when to stop! Why does he insist on both humiliating me and interrupting my daily routine?"

"It does seem like it's become a habit of his, doesn't it? Ever since Frey has been married, he spends all his time on you."

"It's just so frustrating!"

"You know, Forte. I don't understand why you get so worked up over Leon's teasing. Frey had to deal with it every day, but she never had these reactions." Kiel said calmly as he continued reading.

Forte blushed. "Y-you don't understand. The way he teases me… it's just so… I don't know…" Her face flushed. "He does such odd things, and they make me feel… weird. I hate it!"

An eyebrow quirked slightly. "They make you feel… weird?"

Fortes face flushed even brighter. "Ahh! N-no, forget I said anything at all!" She went back to her room.

_"He makes her feel weird…?"_ Kiel thought, closing his book. _"I've never had experience with it myself, but according to many different books I've read… Could Forte possibly like Leon and not realize it yet?"_ He got up from his seat and joined Forte in her room.

"What do you plan on doing about it?" He asked her.

Forte's face fell. "I don't know… It's just… That man… He's just so infuriating! He never takes anything seriously, life is just a giant joke to him!"

"You do seem quite fixated on him…"

Forte ignored this comment and continued her rant. "All he does all day is roam around the town, messing with people's heads! It makes no sense! He could at least try doing something productive for a change."

"So, I'll ask again, what are you going to do?"

Forte looked at her brother and sighed. "I really have no idea."

Kiel thought for a moment before speaking up again. "Well, why not try to fight back?"

This sparked Forte's interest.

"You could do something to get back at him… OH!" His eyes glimmered "Or maybe you could use his teasing against him in some way? Give him the opposite of what he wants."

"That just might work… but what am I supposed to do?" Forte thought for a moment before her eyes went wide in horror. "No, no way, that's not going to happen!"

"Forte-"

"I can't possibly do that! But, I am a Knight, I'm strong enough to h-handle something as stupid as this." She started pacing around the room. "I'll just think of it as a test of determination! B-besides, if I don't rid of him, he'll bother me non-stop!"

"Forte!"

Forte walked straight up to her brother and grasped his hands. "Kiel, I need you to make me more feminine."

"What?!"

* * *

><p>"Okay, so one thing you're going to have to do is to wear a dress." Kiel read from out of a book.<p>

Forte sat on his bed, listening closely to whatever he had to say.

"But, I'm wearing a dress now." She stated.

Kiel sighed. "That's armor though. Wear something pretty… and girly. You know, like Amber."

"NO WAY!" Forte stood from her spot. "I refuse! Besides, I'm not looking to change my look, I'm looking for ways to reply to Leon that will catch him off guard!"

"Just what kind of teasing is he doing? You should have just asked one of your friends to help. I'm sure Margaret would have been more than happy to."

"I can't ask her to help me with something so ridiculous!"

Kiel sighed once more and started flipping through the pages to try and find something more useful.

A knock was heard at the door, so Kiel quickly put down his book to answer it. When he got there, a man with long silver hair was standing there.

"Good morning Kiel." The man greeted.

"Oh, Leon!" Kiel replied happily. Unlike his sister, Kiel had a strong liking of the man.

"I came to get the book back."

"Of course! Let me go get it. Why don't you come inside?" He held the door open.

"Thank you very much." Leon stepped inside and followed Kiel to him to his room. There he noticed Forte sitting on her brother's bed, reading. "Oh, hello Lady Knight.

Forte jumped, and slammed the book closed. "Leon! W-what are you doing here?"

"I just came to pick something up." He leaned in a bit closer. "Did you want me here for a different reason?"

Forte could feel her face burning once again. "What?"

He backed off, but took a seat right next to her on Kiel's bed. "You didn't strike me as the bookish type. What are you reading?"

Forte shoved the book underneath her in an attempt to hide it. "N-nothing."

Leon stared at her, hoping to get her to crack, but Forte stood her ground.

Then Kiel appeared. "Here you go!"A Recipe for Happiness", it's all here."

Leon got up and gave a nod of thanks as he took the book. He walked out the door, but stood there a few more seconds with his back turned to them so he could say a few final words. "I might be gone for a while, I have a few things to sort out with this book here." Her turned and gave a smile "You have a break, lady knight. Use it wisely. I hope to see something interesting when I come back." And with that, he left.

Fortes face burned a bright red.

* * *

><p>Days passed, and Leon was still not back. Although she was happy at first, Forte felt somewhat, lonely. While it may have seemed annoying, Leon came to see, and tease, her every day without fail. She was starting to miss it, although she had no idea why. As annoyed as she got, she supposed his teasing had a certain… charm to it? No, that wasn't possible. But it did make her day more eventful, and it felt a bit nice having so much attention directed to her. The man never meant any harm, and he was still friendly about it. Had she been a bit to over dramatic about it? She supposed she didn't hate it, but the rush she felt was certainly unnerving. In the past few days though, it was that feeling that she missed, and the man she seemed to miss most. Still, things continued on as usual. In fact, she reverted right back to her previous stoic self. This also meant stopping her lessons with Kiel.<p>

Kiel was also concerned for his sister, as she wasn't acting the same. Forte was still Forte, of course, but she seemed preoccupied, and a lot less focused. Her mind seemed to wander. He didn't know how to help her though, and it made him feel awful.

* * *

><p>Forte was making her morning rounds, as usual. A week and a half had passed. She was fine. Nothing more to it, Forte was completely fine. Life was calm, and she was able to enjoy the fresh air. She continued marching and was soon in front of the castle. While there, a traveler walked up to her.<p>

"Hello, miss." The traveler, a man, said.

"Yes, may I help you in anyway?" Forte replied dutifully.

"I'm looking for good spots to go here, do you have any suggestions?"

"Of course. There is Porcoline's Kitchen, the Inn…" She began listing things off one by one.

The man, however, was not paying attention, and just stared at her, examining her up and down.

Forte soon noticed this and glared. "Yes?"

He noticed that he was caught, but shook it off. "Oh, I'm sorry my lady, I just wanted to ask, are you a Knight?"

She held her head up proudly. "Yes, I am."

"Interesting…" He continued to examine. "A female knight… why, that shouldn't be. A woman should be married, and start a family. For her to be a knight though…"

"Excuse me?!"

"I'll tell you what, lady. You come with me, and I'll show you exactly what a woman should be doing. You'll love it, I promise. Don't worry about a thing, just leave this knight thing behind and-"he reached out for Fortes hand.

She took a step back. "I beg your pardon, but I'll have you know that I'm the Dragon Knight and that I-"

*Thwack*

Forte looked up in surprise. She hadn't noticed a man sneak up behind the traveler. A familiar book smacked the traveler right on the head.

"I suggest you get going, if you irritate her further, what she does will be much worse than my book to your head."

The traveler turned in anger. "And just who do you think you are?"

"And if you irritate me further, it will be even worse than what lady knight here does." The man continued.

There was a brief staring contest before the traveler left in defeat.

"Leon?" Forte couldn't fight the small smile that came to her face.

"Ah, happy to see me, are you lady knight?"

"Well, you were gone for quite a while." Forte said, hoping that he wouldn't notice that his absence had been somewhat significant.

"Yes… well…" Leon turned his head so he wouldn't have to look at her. He held onto his book firmly. "I… had a bit of thinking to do…"

"Your book?"

Leon looked up in surprise.

"You're holding onto it quite tightly." Forte exclaimed.

Leon smiled a bit. "So I am."

"Well, I hope you had enough time to sort your thoughts out. We thought you would only be gone a few days, not over a week. The town was starting to get worried about you."

Leon stared at the girl for a few seconds. Had he truly sorted things out? He looked at the book in his hands. Before now, he hadn't known who had written it. With Kiel's help, he was able to figure it out, and not only that, only to translate a note written specifically for him. Everything changed with this one note. His thoughts and feelings, he wasn't sure if he fully understood them yet. However, with this girl standing in front of him, he thought maybe he would find out. It will take a while, but that was the best answer he could come up with.

"Yes, I think I did." He replied at last.

"Good. Now let's tell the town your back." And the knight started marching off.

Leon caught up to her of course, and smirked. "You know, when I said I was looking forward to something interesting, I wasn't expecting that."

Forte blushed. "What?"

"The traveler?"

"I didn't plan that!" Forte yelled.

"Oh, I know." His smirk grew. "But it seems that today I become the knight of knight."

Her blush grew even brighter. "Absolutely not!"

"See, it's that kind of face that I missed while I was gone."

"You're horrid."

Leon could only chuckle and continue his teasing, but for some reason, Forte didn't seem to mind.

* * *

><p>There you have it, Forte and Leon! I love these two. We hope that you enjoyed this chapter! Please tell us what you thought about it!<p> 


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